Political parties in Pakistan lists political parties in Pakistan.
Pakistan has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party
often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other
to form coalition governments.

Parties active in national and provincial politics

Major parties and coalitions

1.Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), the parliamentary wing of
the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was founded in 1967, on November 30 by Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto who became its first chairman and later Prime Minister of Pakistan.
This party has been active in Pakistani Politics after the separation of East
Wing from the rest of Pakistan. The party gained much popularity and support
from masses in in era of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The party won the 1971 elections
on socialist mandate of "Roti, Kapra, Makan" (Bread, Clothes & Shelter). PPP
took control of the country after the Indian supported Civil War of 1971. After
the first parliamentary term, PPP secured a landslide victory in 1977 elections
to rule for further five years.

Opposition parties claimed that the election was heavily rigged by PPP.
Tensions mounted and despite the agreement was reached between opposition and
PPP, martial law was imposed in the country by Gen. Zia ul Haq. Bhutto was
hanged in 1977 after a very controversial trial in which he was found guilty of
murder of a political opponent. His daughter Benazir Bhutto was elected twice as
the prime minister but her government was dismissed both times on corruption
charges, none of them proven in the court despite many years of proceedings.

PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) was a socialist nationalist party when formed
by Zalfikar Ali Bhutto, but moved toward the right under Benazir Bhutto.
Zalfikar Ali Bhutto wanted closer ties with China and more attention to the
lower classes. Benazir Bhutto adopted conservative privatization policies in
order to secure funding from the United States and the World Bank. Although
twice elected Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto was criticized for corruptions and
extra-judicial killings.

The PPP currently holds 81 seats in the national assembly and 11 seats in the
senate. It forms the provincial government in Sindh is the official opposition
in Punjab. In the Angus-Reid pre-election polls of 22-December-2007, it was in
first place, with about 30% of the vote. It is strong in the rural areas of
Sindh and Punjab.

2. Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML "Nawaz group")is a centrist conservative
party that has been led from Saudi Arabia by Nawaz Sharif. It currently holds 19
seats in the national assembly and 4 seats in the senate. Although twice elected
as Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif was criticized for wide-spread corruption and
extra-judicial killings. In the Angus-Reid pre-election polls of 22-December,
the PML/N was in second place, with about 25% of the vote. It is strong in
Punjab province.

3. Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML "Quaid-i-Azam group"), the party
supporting current president, Pervez Musharraf), and officially called Pakistan
Muslim League. PML/Q is a centrist conservative party that forms the current
national government. It currently holds 142 seats in the national assembly and
43 seats in the senate. The PML/Q formed from the split of the PML following the
arrest and exile of PML leader and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The PML/Q
absorbed some minor parties through power-sharing agreements.

Although initially popular, Musharraf has been criticized for supporting the
US invasion of Afghanistan and suspension of legal rights. In the Angus-Reid
pre-election polls of 22-December-2007, the PML/Q was in third place, with about
23% of the vote. It is strong in urban areas of the two large provinces (Punjab
and Sindh). It forms the provincial government in Punjab.

4. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), previously known as Mohajir Qaumi
Movement. The party was formed firstly as student's organization in University
of Karachi as the All Pakistan Muhajir Student Organization (APMSO) in 11 June
1978. This student organization was founded when the thousands of Mohajir
students (Urdu-speaking immigrants from India after partition) were deprived of
their rights and jobs in both private & government organizations. The students
were faced with harsh quotas introduced by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto which deprived
Mohajir students of their seats in Universities and higher educational
institutions. That led to the formation of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement in 1984.
The name was changed to Mutthaida Qaumi Movement in 1997 in order to fight for
the rights of 98% oppressed people in Pakistan. Altaf Hussain is the head of
this political organiztion. MQM currently holds 17 seats in the national
assembly and 7 seats in the senate. It is the official opposition in Sindh
province. In the Angus Reid poll of 22-December, the MQM was in sixth place,
with 2% of the vote

5. Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, a coalition of six religious parties consisting
of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) (Assembly of Islamic
Clergy, Fazl-ur-Rahman Group), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (S) (Assembly of Islamic
Clergy, Sami-ul-Haq Group) Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (Assembly of Pakistani
Clergy), Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadith and a few more. The religious alliance forms the
government in Northwest Frontier Province. It leads the coalition government in
Balochistan with PML Quaid-e-Azam.

MMA is de-centrist. It is the official opposition nationally. It is strong in
the two small provinces. It is legally ultra-conservative and economically
socialist. It strongly opposes US military presence in Pakistan. It currently
holds 63 seats in the national assembly and 21 seats in the senate. In the
Angus-Reid pre-election pollsof 22-December, the MMA was in fifth place, with 4%
of the vote.

6. Twelve other parties hold a total of 20 seats in the national assembly and
18 seats in the senate. The PTI party led by Imran Khan is boycotting the
elections, but was in fourth place in the Angus-Reid poll of 22-December, with
6% of the vote. The PTI is strong in NWFP, where it forms the official
opposition.

The Parliament of Pakistan is bicameral, consisting of the National Assembly
of Pakistan and the Senate. National Assembly elections were last held on 12
October 2002, and Senate elections were last held in February 2003.

Elections are scheduled to be held on 8 January 2008. See Pakistani general
election, 2008.